


The Boxer, The Girl and A Bit Of Time Travel

by Spaceflowerprincess



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Anxious!Fiddleford, M/M, Trans Dipper, aromantic!Stanley, autistic!Mabel, autistic!Stanford, off screen Carla/OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-04-04 18:32:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4148406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spaceflowerprincess/pseuds/Spaceflowerprincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stanley thought that moving Stanford out to Oregon would be good for him. Stanford stubbornly refuses to admit that. When a little girl appears in the woods he might have to admit his brother was right, he has improved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Just to be clear I wrote all of this. It is heavily influenced by my favorite headcannons and TDYG.  
> Except Dan. I really did just assume Dipper and Mabels grandfather was dead or something so they spent their summer with their Grunkle. Also two Grunkle Stans would be awesome!

Part One

It as all Stanley's fault. Stanford was fine, he was doing okay he had his own place and a steady flow of income. He and Carla were good.

And then Daniel happened. Daniel had been overseas and when he came back he stayed with Stanford. Stanford was happy to have his older brother stay with him for a while and then one thing lead to another and suddenly Stanford was holding an invitation to Daniel Pines  and Carla McCorkle’s wedding.When Stanley asked if Stanford would help him move out to Oregon of course Stanford agreed. he just didn’t hear the part where he agreed to live out there with Stanley.

“This is a shack, you can hardly call it a Cabin,” Stanford complained.

“Ford,” that was Lee’s annoyed tone.

“Where’s the kitchen stuff, I want it unpacked by dinner time,” Ford grumbled.

Lee pressed his lips together but didn’t say anything.

…

Ford and Lee had settled into a routine.  Ford would get up early for a run  and then cheek on Lee, if he was still asleep he would leave him until nine, if he was awake Ford would make a breakfast. If Stanley hadn’t gone to sleep the night before Ford would try not to yell and put his brother to bed.

Ford had work at ten sometimes earlier, he found a job in town, at the construction company, they were fixing up some old buildings. He’d be back at the shack by four or so, sometimes it was more like seven. If he was home before six he would make dinner and then drag Lees to the table to eat.

It work out when Stanford worked, but not on his off days. Those days Stanley would want to go into town and do something with other people. Stanford was still not sure about that. He liked that his job required minimal conversation.

Today was a bit different.It was and off day Stanley had found something big and didn’t want to go to town. Ford was good with that he could have a quite day. Do some reading, maybe bake something. Pie, he was going to make blueberry pie. Until of course he checked if they had any milk, or eggs, or flour, or blueberries. They had none.

“Stanley!” He called, “You need to go grocery shopping!”

“Can’t busy, can you do it.”

He had to go into town.

By himself.

And talk to people.

Today was not a good day.

…

Stanley would not believe this. There was pterodactyl. A real live pterodactyl in Gravity falls. Holy cow, how was this really. Ford ran to the pay phones he help put in a week back.

"Come on, Come on Lee pick up!"

"Hello- "

"Oh thank god Lee. There's-"

"This is Stan 'Mabel Stan! We're not here right now please leave a message and well get back to you never! _Ford! Well I am not going to call them back._ Lee will get back to you."

"LEE THERE IS A FUCKING  PTERODACTYL IN TOWN. WHAT THE SHIT MAN? WHERE DID WE MOVE-"

"A pterodactyl?" Stanley asks

"THE P IS SILENT STAN!"

Some redhaired teenager gave Ford a concerned look.

"Damn it Stanly just get here!"

“Aye Aye Captain!” Ford can hear the click of the phone hanging up.

…

After an entirely too exhausting day it turned out that the pterodactyl was so poor schmuck that had just been by his long term girlfriend, Stanford is sat down by his brother and the poor schmuck, Fiddleford. They had quite a bit to explain.

“So you are saying that Gravity Falls is more than just a small town? It’s a weird small town?” Stanford finally says after Stanley had explained all his research.

Lee buried his face in his hands, “I knew this was too much for you!”

“You can’t pronounce pterodactyl!”

“Um, I’m going to go now,” McGucket says.

“Wait,” Lee stops him, “Here, take this call me back, so we can arrange a time to tryout your calculations for the freeze ray.”

The smaller man eyes darted from Ford to Lee and back again.

“Really,” he had and eager look in his blue eyes and his whole face light up, “That’s hootnanierific!” He grins at Ford and Lee then leaves.

“He’s...odd,” Ford says.

 Lee nods sagely, “If you’d have actually listened to him you’d realise he actually quite intelligent.”

 “So all this,” Ford makes a rolling hand motions, “is what you have been doing?”

 “Yeah mostly,” Lee says.

 “How are you getting paid for this,” Ford asks.

 Lee give a shake hand gesture, “Mostly.”

…

    Over the next few years McGucket becomes an almost constant presence in the Pines home. Ford hardly ever sees him at first. It’s only when he does it's to deliver food to the nerds who don’t normally feed themselves. Sometimes its when the other man gets to the house early. On one memorable occasion Ford was eating cereal in his underwear and listening to BABBA, when the other man let himself in to the house.

Occasionally Ford would go down to the lab to see if the other two needed any physical labor done, typically they wouldn’t so Ford stuck around and watched. It was a bit interesting he learned that for all of McGuckets genius he still couldn’t tighten screws very well and would occasionally get hit by them flying out of whatever machine he was working on at the time. Ford tried not to laugh, really he did, but it was still kind of funny. Thats how he got handed the official job as handyman, when he was home from work. He kind of liked it.

Then some how it ended up that McGucket was practically living at their house. Ford was okay with it. The adventures with someone else to watch his brother were worth its. Sometimes they fought when they spent too much time apart, Fiddleford figured that out fairly quickly and would always have a plan to get the brothers back on speaking terms.  

…

“Why doesn't your brother help you with this stuff?” Fiddleford asked Lee.

“Um…” Lee was great with words, “Well you’ve meet him, he’s great,” Fiddleford mumbles under his breath, “but he doesn’t get it. He became a boxer while I got my degree in cryptozoology, thought it was a bunch of bunk.” Lee is inspected their latest gadget that  _should_  help them analyze the gnome vomit.

“So why did he move out here with you?” Fiddleford presses.

Lee looks up with a grin on his face, “I tricked him into it. He would have mopped over Carla for the next year if I hadn’t. It’s not like they were actually dating they were sharing an apartment. She loved him, but not in that way. He couldn’t see it. Ford has a really big heart.” He looks a bit guilty.

“You tricked him?”

“Our brother Dan had just come home, Carla fell in love with him. It was for the best really!” Lee protested.

“How could he have thought he and Carla were dating when they never were?”

“He’s a gentleman and he may not have gotten all of it but she also wasn’t very direct, he needs direct.”

Fiddleford filed that tidbit away for later.

…

Grocery shopping, Ford can do this, he has done it before and he has had a day to prepare. He is going to get, milk, bread, eggs, vegetables: tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers, pickles were those vegetables? Whatever, and a treat. Because Stanford Pines is doing the grocery shopping. Oh and spices. Lee always forgets the spices, but no this time because it's Stanford doing the shopping. Fids doesn’t always remember or end up getting only the extreme spices. Also Ford is driving the car he has learned his lesson from last time, groceries for two large men and Fiddleford do not fit on a motorcycle.

On the drive there he almost hits a little girl in a sweater. She looks lost and scared.

“Hey Doll, are you okay?” Stanford get out of the car, this he was not prepared for.

“I don’t know where I am,” she all but sobs, “I can’t find my grunkle or Dipper or Soos or Wendy.”

“Do you want a ride into town? Or do you know how to get home? I was going to go grocery shopping…” Stanford doesn’t know who this is going to work. He can’t just leave her there but it would also be wrong to take her to his house so he should probably take her to her ...Grunkle? What the hell was a grunkle? Whatever it was it was probably worried sick over her.

“I’m staying at 618, Gopher Road in Gravity Falls,” She says.

Now that was odd. He should probably take her to Stanley.

“I’ll drive you there,” He says trying not to freak out or show her how alarmed he was.

The first thing she says after he parks the car is, "This isn't the mystery shack."

 _Well shit._ "This is 618 Gopher Road and it's in Gravity falls."

"You're not like some creeper or something right?"

"No," who's he kidding he and Carla hardly even kissed, " I'm not, neither is my brother. We both live here so something is wrong. Stanley can probably help, I think. I don't know how all this works."

"How what works?" She unbuckles and looks up at him.

"This town,"  Ford says and gets out.

"Whos car is that?" She points to Fids rust bucket.

"Come on kid, we've got people to see!" Ford snaps.

"Okay okay cranky pants!" She looks around the property with curious and observant eyes. "Are you sure this is the right place 618 Gopher Road, Gravity Falls Oregon? Because it doesn't look right."

Ford ignores the itch under his skin to go about his routine or anything he'd normally do, but this was a little girl some one was worries about her.

"You like cookies right?" Ford grabs the cookie jar and then a clean cup and goes to the refrigerator for milk they have a cup left. "Here, just stay right here,  I'll be right back." He says.

"No, eat one first," she insists.

Ford gives her a look and she makes a get to it motion. He sight and snags a cookie and takes a bite. "See they're fine."

"Okay!" She smiles and Ford leaves her there to go into the lab.

"Lee!" Ford calls, "I have a bit of a problem."

"No one is going to care that you are buying food," Lee answers. There is a small explosion afterwards.

"Shit, fuck, god damn it!" Lee yells.

"No its not that," Stanford is faced with his brothers very singed face , "It's one of the gravity falls things Lee I think you should come and see this. Your face is burned."

Fiddleford is laughing off to the side.

"You should both come," Ford says.

Lee takes if his rubber gloves and pinches his nose, "Okay, Fiddleford it looks like we are going upstairs."

Ford leads them upstairs to the little girl. They peek in to the kitchen, where she is munching on the cookies.

"Ford, what did you do?" Lee whispers.

"Me? Nothing. I found her she can't get home says here is her home but I've never seen her before."

Fiddleford, ignoring the brothers debate and goes into the kitchen and sits down beside her.

"Howdy little miss you seem to be a ways from home. What's your name?"

"Hey I know you, you're old man McGucket!" She says bright eyed and excited.

Fids blushes, "I wouldn't know about old, but I am Fiddleford McGucket. What's your name?"

"Mabel! Pines." She tells him, "Why are you here?"

"Well I'm working with Stanely Pines. He and his brother Stanford live here. Are you related to them?"

Stanley glares at Stanford, "She is not yours is she?" He acuses.

"She's like ten would have been fourteen." Ford defends himself,"Shes probably Dans."

Her face fell, "I think I am in the wrong year."

"Wha'tch ya mean little miss?"

"You are well you are  _young!"_ She says, "and this isn't the Mystery Shack. Grunkle Stan isnt here and neither is Dipper. Dipper is probably worried sick." She says she doesn't look to concerned by that.

 _"Grunkle Stan?"_  Lee and Ford mouth to each other.

"Who is your Dipper?" Fiddleford presses.

"Oh Dipper is my unidentical twin."

"Unidentical" skepticism was clear in the small mans voice, "what the gosh dinger darn is that?"

"Well everyone thought Dipper and I were both girls, but Dipper is a boy. Identical twins run in my family."

Ford, Lee and Fiddleford exchanged a look, "Thats mighty forward thinking, I had a sister like that. She moved to California. I haven't heard from her in a while..." fiddleford pauses, "Ford brought you here right?"

Mabel nods, "He said you could help."

"Ford, Lee, get in here," Fiddleford calls.

"It sounds like time travel," Lee says right off the bad.

"Then she's stuck here right?" Ford says.

"Not necessarily, we could try to reverse what happened to her and send her back."

"We need  Blendin!" Mabel shouts.

"Who?"

"He's a time traveler, in the future."

"You guys deal with this I'm going to buy groceries." Ford says, "She won't be gone by the time I'm back so I'll grab a few sets of clothing."

...

"This is so like him!" Lee burst out, "Running away the moment things get serious.

"Lee, he was clearly nervous and we do need groceries. Ford was just being practical."

Lee gave him a murderous look, "If course you'd say that, you can't think past your-"

"Ahmm," Mabel interrupts, "thats not a nice word."

Lee looks ashamed of himself and Fiddleford was bright red.

"The mission is to get me home right?" She says pleasantly with a small smile, "Thats more than a thirty year jump, at least. I came from 2012. What year is this?"

"1979," Fiddleford says.

"Then your work is cut out for you. I have to get a message to Dipper before he freaks out." She puts her dishes in the sink and bounces up the stairs.

...

Besides the whole morning incident of Mabel groceries went well. Ford even had a conversation with the cashier, it felt normal. That felt good.

He came home to an empty kitchen and living room, so he put the groceries away. Then he went to look for extra sheets and bedding for the girl. They would have to put her in the attic since Lee and Ford already had the two bedrooms and Fiddleford taken to sleeping in the den most nights.

There was a spare mattress that was mostly clean. Just a bit dusty from disuse, she'd be okay on that for a few weeks before she went home.

"Mabel!" Ford calls looking for the young girl. She came down the stairs in a whirl with her hair pulled up into a ponytail with fly aways everywhere. Her pink sweater was now almost gray, covered in cobwebs and dust. She had an old beat up Swiss army knife in her hand.

"What happened?"

"I'm making a message for Dipper!" Her smile was bright and happy.

"You need a shower,"  he hands her a bottle of fruity shampoo and a bar of new soap, it was pink therefore only she would use it. "Go on get, or no dinner." He said and handed her a sundress and sweater. She started to pout, "you can't just run around my house dirty you need to be clean otherwise you stay outside."

"Can I help with dinner if I shower?"

"Yeah sure whatever."

"Yay!" She runs off in the direction of the bathroom.

Ford goes down to the lab to yell at his brother. "What the hell Lee? Did you just leave her there on her own? She's twelve and has never been here before. She could have gotten seriously hurt!"

"We were working on a way to get her home." Lee says, "Like you asked."

"God it like you don't think at all."  Ford growls.

"I didn't bring her home." Lee says.

"You always want me to stop and do the right thing, and the first time I do so you do everything you can to make me regret it!" Stanford has tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Ford." Lee says.

"I think we have done enough work for today," Fiddleford says. "Lets leave it for a few days, you've been fighting too frequently. You both need a brake."

"You're probably right." Lee admits. "We could go fishing tomorrow if the weather is better." He suggests.

"That sounds like a plan," Ford smiles and goes back upstairs leaving the nerds to lock up. A certain amount of giggling follows him up. Tonight feels like a stirfry night, is got chopping and kids need vegetables and protein. And it will take a bit of prep.

Mabel was still in the shower so Ford goes up to the attic to put a few more of her things away. He can tell he is getting attached, and it will end in nothing but tears, but he can't help himself.

"FORD!"

"Wha-" who would be calling him.

"Ford where are you you said we could make dinner together!" The voice calls.

Mabel.

Wow he was off his game.

He gets downstairs and finds the girl with her hair wet and a mess.

"First rule of cooking, hair must be kept in a neatly out of the way," he leads her into the livingroom where Fiddleford and Lee are sorting through the reference photos of the latest supernatural creature. "Sit I'm going to braid your hair." He places the remote in her hand, "Find something you like and sit still."

She sits down and then grabs a ball of yarn and starts doing something complicated with it and her fingers are busy. The TV stays off and she sits still.

 

"Fids stop staring," Lee whispers.

The smaller man blushes, "Your brother is everything I want he can cook, he's handy around the house, have you seen his torso? And he is good with kids. I don't know about you but I'm have a small crisis."

Lee rolls his eyes, "Just remember there is a child present."

Fiddleford wanted now more than ever to get Ford into bed with him and then a relationship.

"What does it take to get a Pine into bed?"

"Typically an axe."

Fiddleford chuckled as he was reminded of why he was best friends with his boss.

 

Mabel was very pleased with her new hair style, Ford  was easily her favorite person here besides Fiddleford. He was direct and kept her occupied. She liked that. He was a bit gruff, but he genuinely like her. He reminded her of her Grunkle Stan.

Truth be told he probably was, but why wouldn't he say a thing about his twin brother?

Maybe for the same reason she never talked about her twin sister.

_..._

_When Sable first told Mabel that she was well a he, Mabel didn't understand it given that they were only five and Mabel still wasn't sure what the difference between boys and girls was. She tried her hardest to think of Sable as Dipper it took two years but now they were Mabel and Dipper. Not Mabel and Sable. In private she called Dipper her bro bro.Dippers grin was the best when she said that. Dipper was ten before he decided to let their parents know._

_It didn't go very well._

_Mabel went out with a friend to buy Dipper a book on the dos and don'ts of transitioning with her birthday money. He almost cried when she gave it to him.  They saved up for the inevitable binders and sports bras Dipper would need. They went to  Grandpa Dan’s that summer for only a week. Dipper came back and cried in into their mothers arms, Mabel didn't know exactly what happened but she had her suspicions. The something strange happened, their parents started listening. They helped Dipper with only a little bit of hesitation. Dipper got a whole bunch of Doctors that summer and he was doing better._

_Mabel didn’t have Sable, her sister she had someone better, Dipper her brother._

…

Okay maybe it wasn’t exactly like that, but something similar?

…

Dinner was  delicious, Lee complemented Ford and Mabel both on their cooking, general conversation flowed easily until it turned to Mabel.

“What the future like?”

Mabel look alarmed, “Aren't there rules about this? Dipper isn’t here and he’d know the rules. He always knows.”

“Then tell us about your Grunkle, just stay away from the technology and stuff. It can’t be too different,” Stanford says.

Mabel's presses her lips together.

“Grunkle Stan is the best. He’s my dad’s uncle, Dipper and I use to spend summers with Grandpa Dan, but this summer Dad though we should go to Grunkle Stan’s Mystery Shack, it's been a blast,” She grins and eat a bunch of the stir fry, “I think Grunkle Stan has been lonely up here, but he seems happier when Dipper and I are around. We went to the lake for family day and…” She looks at Fiddleford, “Wheres Ranger?”

“Who?”

She looks like she is doing math in her head. “We meet Mr. Fiddleford there and had a blast, of course Dipper was disappointed that there was no real monster. We went through a lot of cameras. I’m not sure where Dipper got them all…”

“Is Ford or Lee your Grunkle?” Fiddleford says.

“I don’t know.” Mabel admits and looks down at her food.

The implications of that were clear, something happens between the three of them and one of the Stans is not longer there.

…

“Do you need anything before you go to bed?” Lee asks her. Ford did a great job getting the room together. There a bed and a dresser and a few stuffed animals, she might personalize it a bit more the longer she stays there.

The girl rolls on her side looking at the empty wall with a forlorn look.

“Dipper normally sleeps there,” Mabel says.

“Ford and I shared a room up through high school,” He says, “I had a hard time sleeping on my own when I went to college.”

“I’ve never gone to sleep alone, Dipper was there or I was at a sleepover,” SHe hugs the teddy bear closer.

“We will be right down stairs,” Lee strokes her hair, it reminds him of Carla’s hair. It is clear that she is Carla McCorkles granddaughter, “I’ll leave my door open for you if you get scared.” He promises.

She smiles, “Thank you.”

He kisses her forehead wondering if in the future he will get to do this again. She his great-niece, of course he feels a connection even if he doesn’t express it all that well.

He walks back down stairs and takes a shower, how could he never mention or have a trace of his brother? Sure Ford drove him up a wall sometimes, but he loved his brother no matter what. Watching Ford’s independence grow was painful but necessary. He wasn’t sure what the next step was in his plan. With all his research on gravity falls in general, he was still making field journal templates and the occasional fictional story. He wouldn't publish his journals for all the money in the world.

Now that there was Mabel to consider he wasn’t so sure the Journal were a great idea. Maybe he should just write textbooks.

As he lay in bed reading a romance novel, trying to figure out why people liked theses he say Fiddleford creep down the hall to Fords room. He smirked maybe he didn’t understand romance, but he sure as hell understood what that meant.

…

Oh dear God Fiddleford did not know what he was doing, but he could not stand the thought of losing Ford. More so than Lee. Losing Ford would be like losing himself. Wasn’t that a ghastly thought.

Lee’s door was open, well shit.

He walked pasted it anyways,might as well declare his intentions now.

Fords door is closed but not locked, he is probably putting together t shirts or something for tomorrow's fishing trip, maybe this is not such a good idea. Fiddleford doesn’t listen to his inner voice and goes into Ford’s room.

There are four tee shirts hanging from a bit of twine, they all have their names on it. Ford, Lee, Fiddle and Mabel. Fiddleford smiles.

“Fiddleford!” Ford is in his underwear. Fiddleford blushes.

“I’m sorry,” He closes his eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

“I-its- fiddlesticks. This went down better in my head!” He says.

Ford chuckles, “I am dressed, you can look now.”

“What Mable said earlier, well more like implied,” Fiddleford rotates his pointer fingers, looking down. Ford has yet to put on a shirt, “ I don’t want you to not be in my life- I just thought- this is stupid.”

“No it not. I’m not sure what you are saying Nerd,” Ford smiles a little here, “Lee must have told you to be more direct. I don’t normally  _get_  things.”

“Your a Moron and I think I’m in love with you,” Mcgucket blurts out.

Ford sits down hard on his bed, “Oh.”

“Is that a bad Oh or a good Oh?” Fiddle for rubs his thumb in nervousness.

“I wasn’t expecting this, thats all.”

“Should I leave?”

Ford shakes his head, “I think I just need a while to think this over.”

Fiddleford bits his lip, “I can’t sleep either.”

Ford grins, “Well that I can fix,see a nice big bed and...cuddling is good right? because I don’t think I’m ready for more.”

Fiddlefords crins and then crawls into bed with Ford curling up under his chin when they are all settled down.

“This is good.” Ford says. Fiddleford smiles

“Lee is still reading romance novels.”

“He’ll never figure it out,” Ford rumbled.

…

Ford was not used to having another body in his bed, but waking up to Fiddleford snoring softly on his chest was pleasant, sure the blankets are wound around his leg and Fiddlefords elbow was in his face and there may or may not be drool on his chest.  He wanted to do it again, maybe forever.

“Fidds,” Ford pokes the other man's nose.

He makes a sleepy noise, “Fidds I really have to pee.”

Fiddleford does not wake up, so Ford does the only thing any sane person would do. He rolls Fiddleford under him.

Which is a huge mistake, because Fiddleford’s eyes snap open.

“Good morning,” Fiddleford says with a smirk.

Ford does not realise how close they are. They are close enough to do...stuff. Stuff Ford has not decided if he is ready for or not. Either way Fids’ blue eyes are half lidded and he has a content smile on his face.Fords groins stirs, “I have to pee,” He says and then pushes up from the bed only to fall on his face because the bed sheets are wrapped around his ankles.

“Shit!”

Fiddleford sits up right, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” Ford doesn’t look at Fiddleford as he sprints away to the bathroom.

Lucky his face is fine. That was incredibly embarrassing. At least he didn’t have a bare ass. He giggles softly at his own joke and then pulls on his game face and walks back out of there.

“What happened to your legs?” Lee accost him in the hall.

“Shut up you're supposed to be asleep!” Ford snaps.

“Geeze what did Fids do to you?” Lee is laughing at this point.

“Nothing the sheets just got tangled!” Ford walks away.

“You can run but you haven’t hidden those marks!” Lee giggles.

Ford hates his brother sometimes, but just sometimes.

"I marked you up?" Fiddleford seems surprised, "but I thought we didn't-" hes doing that nervous thing with his hands again. Ford takes one of Fids hands in his.

"We didn't, my legs got tangled up in the sheet. They also bruise pretty easily," Ford says and leans forward to place a kiss on Fiddlefords cheek.

Fiddleford turns his head last minute and is not so innocent in kiss on Ford's lips. It was one really amazing kiss. Ford would not have thought it from looking at the smaller man, but he kissed dirty.

"Sorry," Fiddleford said, "that was-"

"Amazing." Ford blushed, “ I should make breakfast Mable will probably be hungry.”

“You don’t have to leave,” Fiddleford says.

Ford looks at Fiddleford, “You can come help, when you are dressed.”

…

    Ford is surprised by how much Mabel can eat, and then her enthusiasm for the shirts he made. He is quite proud of himself and her praise was flattering, Fidds and Lee didn’t notice the little things he did. It was nice to be appreciated.

    Lee has gotten all of his fishing gear out by the time Ford was done with the dishes and is attempting to size Mabel in a tackle vest and fishing pole. Its kind of funny how excited he is about this.

    “Are wer ready or not?” Lee says.

    Ford goes through his mental checklist of what needs to be done and what needs to be packed for the day.

    “Lunch?”

    Mabel hold up the basket, “Check!”

    “Sun screen?”

    She rattles the bag.

    “Pens and extra ink?” He looks at Lee.

    Lee holds up his quill, “Sort of.”

    “Dishes are done, lights and other machines are off?”

    Fiddleford nods.

    “I suppoes we just have to lock the door and we are good. I feel like we are forgetting something…” Ford looks around.

    “Band aids!” Mabel says.

    “Thank you doll!” Ford feels relieved now.

…

    Fidds and Ford watch as Lee teaches Mabel how to bait the hook. She does it gleefully and without hesitation. It is a little disturbing to be honest.

    “I don’t actually like fishing,” Fids says.

    “You have to stay still, I don’t like it either,” Ford says.

    Mabel launches her line out a bit too zealously and Lee laughs as Ford and Lee get splashed.

    Ford gives up after the first hour and spends his time sketching a sleeping Fiddleford while Mable and Lee continue their attempts to get a few decent fish.

    Three hours in and the two of them have four decent sized fish.

    “Hey Ford do you think we can do Ma’s butter battered fish for dinner?” Lee has a manic grin science can only put on his face.

    Ford slaps his forehead, “I forgot the ice chest!”

    “It’s in the trunk,” Fiddleford answers from under his floppy hat.

    “You are an angel,” Ford answers.

    Fidds blushes to the tips of his ears.

    “Or you could cook it right now,” Lee pleads, with a smirk on his face saying that he had planned the whole thing.

His brother is so freaking inept sometimes.

“I do do more than cooking, Lee!” Ford shouts as he paddles back to the shore.

“But you are so good at it!” Lee is a little shit.

"Thats only because you never learned!" Ford fires back.

…

Setting up a cooking spot isn’t bad or tedious, but as soon as Ford was set up Lee and Fiddleford disappeared into the woods with Mabel.Its not like he could expect her to actually stay and help out when they said they were going to check out the weird patch of flowers they saw the other week.

Ford had a good time cooking, he sang to himself telling him what he was going to do. No one was around to criticise him or ask stupid questions. He like the quiet, and besides this meant the other had to clean up his mess.

Except a stupid unicorn had to come up to him.

“Hey, shoo you,” He told the animal. The unicorn didn’t listen, instead it started to nuzzle Ford.

“I’m supposed to be manly. You aren’t helping.”

The unicorn whinned.

“Don’t interrupt me then.” He glared at the unicorn. It was really majestic and really bad ass.

He could deal with a badass unicorn.

The fish were just about done when Mabel burst out of the woods with a flower crown. Her eyes grew wide with excitement and disappeared back into the woods. A minute later she was back with what looked like a sugar cube.

“Grunkle, what did you do? Dipper and I haven’t found a unicorn yet,” Mable rushed over to the unicorn to pet it. It liked her as much as it like Ford.

Ford blushed, “I was just  cooking and the big lug decided I was good company.” The unicorn at the sugar cube and whinned.

Lee and Fiddleford walked out of the forest and toward Ford’s fish. The unicorn made an angry noise then got up and galloped away.

“Was that a real unicorn?” Lee was excited. Mable look disappointed and upset.

“Why did you make it run away?” She had tears in her eyes.

“I-” Lee held up his hand in surrender, “I didn’t do anything. Doesn’t this rule out the whole virgin thing?”

Ford goes bright red, “No I think it confirms it,” he said in a small voice.

Lee's eyes grew wide, “Oh, but what about all those times when-”

Ford jerked his head toward Mabel, “Lies.”

Fiddleford’s cheek were as red as Ford if not he was even redder.

“Just eat your fish,” Ford said.

Mabel sulked off to the side eating her fish and watching the horizon.The sun sane lower and lower in the sky. The Ford watches her while they eat. Lee and Fids bounce ideas off of each other on how to get her home.

“How long do you think it will take?” Ford says.

“A week, maybe,” Fiddleford answers.

“Two tops,” Lee says with a note of misery in his voice.

“I’ll call into work tomorrow, I can get two weeks off easy,” Ford says never taking his eyes off of his great niece, “They can’t blame me for wanting to spend more time with my niece before she has to go back to her parents.”

“Ford,” Lee puts his hand out on his brother's shoulder. Ford turns around, “Look she’s miserable. She has never been without her twin. She's stuck here for now, you can’t let her know that we have a way back until it is done. Giving her hope and then taking it away is the worse thing you can do.” The former boxer snaps.

“Don’t get too attached, Ford. Don’t take this harder than you have too,” Lee says.

Ford grunt in acknowledgement.

…

“We can hike back from here,” Mabel says to her great uncles.

Lee and Fiddleford look alarmed.

“You want to hike back through the forest?” Lee says

“Yeah, it’ll be fun, Dipper and I do it all the time, okay well we walked in a circle from the Shack,” She shrugs it off as nothing.

“Sure,” Ford has cleaned up the campsite site, “Lord knows these two could use more exercise.”

Lee and Fids exchange a look, apparently they are now going hiking.

Mabel charged at the head of the pack leading them through the forest. Fors is a few feet behind her. Fiddleford and Lee are painting behind them.

“Mabel, sweetie, you need to slow down!” Lee calls.

Mabel comes to a clearing and stops dead. Ford nearly runs over her.

“Look,” She points reverently to the six fingered statue in the middle of the meadow.

Lee and Fiddleford catch up to the other two. Fidds gasps while Lee flip through his journal, “Look at this,” He steps forward looking at the hand. “Is one of the symbols.”

Lee goes into the clearing unaware of how uneasy Mabel is. He reaches out and touches the golden statue.

“NO!” Mabel screams as he touches the statue. Blue lighting strikes Fords twin and lands him on his ass passed out. Fiddleford darts out and is suddenly ambushed by what looks like an angry spirit.

“Fiddleford!” Ford screams. Mabel clings to him so he doesn’t  move. He watches in horror as two of the people he loves are in pain and he can do nothing about it.

Stanley gets up off the ground holding his hands close to his body. Fiddleford is flat on his back and pale as a sheet. Lee does the only thing he can think of seeing his brother and Mable on the edge unable or unwilling to go and help Fiddleford.

“Ford,” Mabel pulls at Fords arm, “Look,” She point at Lee.

Ford doesn’t respond because Fiddleford sits up and grins at Lee.

“It’s you,  Six-fingers, Hello finally,” Fiddlefords grin is uneasy and his eyes are yellow. He turn his head toward Mabel and Ford.

“Look Fish is here too. And oh its Little Shooting Star,” He smiles and Mable moves closer to Ford.

“You’re early, where the Little Pine Tree?” he tilts his head laughing maniacally.

“HIT HIM!” Mabel shouts.

Lee looks confused, “Why?”

Mabel looks close to tears, “Just hit him!”

“Pine Tree isn’t with you?” Fiddleford gets to his feet and moves toward Mable, “Isn’t that a shame? All unprotec-” Lee hits Fiddleford over the head with his journal. Fiddleford collapses and then gasps.

“Get out of the clearing!” Mabel shouts. Lee grabs Fiddlefords body and run to Mabel and Ford.

“What the hell was that?” Lee asks. Mabel is now frozen like Ford was a minute ago. She is transfixed by Lee’s now six fingered hands.

“Fids, you are you okay?”

“Oh, dear lord, my head hurts,” He moves his hand up to his head.

Ford laughs even though he wants to cry, “Yeah Lee his you hard enough to make you bleed.”

“Head injuries just bleed a lot,” He mumbles in his accent.

Ford takes his shirt off to clean up Fiddlefords injury. Fiddlefords eyes bug out.

“If i had known all it took to get you to strip was a head injury, I’d have done it ages ago.”

“Or you could have just asked,” Fors laughs,but this time it doesn’t work, He cries as well. “You could have died.”

“You have six fingers,” Mabel takes a step back.

“ Yeah I mean its kind of a new thing,”’ Lee wiggles his fingers with a look of awe on his face.

“You’re not my Grunkle.” She looks betrayed, “I don’t know you at all!” She looks close to tears.

Ford looks between his brother and his great niece, “Mabel sweet is you know me. That’s Lee, Stanley Pines. He is my twin, He is my brother. You can trust him.”

“HE IS THE REASON I’M EVEN HERE! THE STUPID PORTAL EXPLODED AND NOW DIPPER IS DEAD AND SO IS GRUNKLE STAN! I CAN’T REMEMBER MY PARENTS. I JUST WANT TO GO HOME!” She is crying now.

…

It takes Stanley and Fiddleford a week to get time machine for Mabel to work. Two days later they get a message back confirming it is the right year, it look like Stanford's handwriting so that cheers her up a little bit and the third day they send her back.

She told them all about the demon in the woods during that week. Mabel warned them that the portal would be a bad idea. She didn't know for certain, but she though it was why she didn't know Lee or Fiddleford. She hugged them all tightly before she left. Ford cried, because he would miss her.

He still isn’t sure they did the right thing.

“Do you think the future will be different?” He asks.

“Maybe,” Lee answers, “But hopefully it is for the better.”

…

“Mabel are you okay?” A face hovers over her.

“My head hurts.” She moans.

She hears a chuckles, “Lee she’s just fine, like she always is.”

“Grunkle Stan?”

 


	2. Chapter 2

A week after Mabel leaves Lee and Ford get a letter from their brother and Carla announcing the birth of Jaime Pines.

Ford couldn’t be happier at the announcement. Even though he had just loss Mabel he was on step closer to gaining her back, he father had just been born. Lee thought that sentiment was a bit bizarre.

They all headed Mabel's warning with Bill Cipher. They avoided him with a passion and when he came around Ford had prepared dream catchers and exorcism to remove him from the town. He’d be someone else's problem.

Fiddleford and Stanford continued their relationship. Lee missed his entertainment, on occasion when the two fought he’d remember why it was better that they were together. Ford's attempts at wooing the older man were embarrassing to watch and painful to correct. Also Ford tended to keep Fiddleford away from the more destructive and viotle ideas. Like the mind eraser.

…

Ford loved watching Fiddleford sleep.  His tiny chest would rise and fall in a predictable manner, he looked so much more peaceful when he was asleep. Nothing could bother him them especially not with Ford keeping watch.

“Hey,” Fiddlefords eyes opened me.

“Morning,” Ford rumbled.

“Watchin’ me sleep aga’n?” Fiddleford kissed Ford.

“Sorry,” Ford wrapped his arms round Fiddleford. Fiddlefords hand snuck down between their legs.

“Oh, its that kind of morning?” Ford smile grew.

“I had the best dream, last night,” Fiddleford keep his motions up and it became harder and harder for Ford to keep a straight face, “It was our wedding night.”

“Oh,” Ford knew this dream well, but Fiddleford always told it so well.

“FIDDS WHERE DID YOU PUT THE LATEST FILM STRIP?”

Fiddleford and Ford stopped and groaned in annoyance.

“I hate living with my boss.” Fiddleford complained. Fords face looked like he was keeping back a laugh.

“But hey you get to fuck the boss's baby brother.” He giggles.

“That is a perk.” Fiddleford mused.

“FIDDLEFORD!” Lee shouted.

“Go, I have to get the shop open,” Ford says.

Fiddleford was not a morning person but with the Pine Twins he suffered.

“Don’t forget Tate is coming today,” Ford kisses Fidds forehead.

Fiddleford is dramatic and flops back down on their bed, “Ugh parenting.”

“Gina is completely reasonable in wanting him to have some male role models. Don’t waist your time with your son.”

“Yeah.”

“Gina and Ellen are dropping him off around four, and then we are having dinner.”

…

FIddleford was not sure how Tate turned out to be such a ...boy with Gina and Ellen raising him. Genetically he was the father so it would make sense if Tate had more of an interest in robots and science, but he was into sports and cars.

Ford understood him better than Lee or Fiddleford, but he still didn’t completely understand the boy.

…

Ford was the first to jump to helping Jaime and his new wife move to Piedmont, California. Lee and Fiddleford were a bit more hesitant. Jaime and Ford weren’t the closest, Ford had a soft spot for the kid a mile wide.

Jaime didn’t quite know what to make of Ford and his permanent partner. His wife was delighted that they were so eager to help. Ford couldn’t keep the smile off of his face when he discovered that there were two extra bedrooms. It was only 1996 so they had a few years before the twins were born.

“If you need anything just call,” Ford says.

“We will, be safe going back home,” Jaime smiled fondly at his uncle's.

…

In April of 1999  the Mystery Shack received the announcement of a new little Pines. For was over the moon and Lee didn’t know how to handle him.

“Fidds it’s little Mabel, she’s coming back.”

“Oh boy.”

…

At the end of August, Ford went down to his nephew and nieces to see the Pines and the twins.

Jaime was actually surprised that his Uncle was helpful. They had only planned on one baby, twins were a bit of a surprise.They named them Mabel and Sabel, two little girls.

Stan called Fiddleford and Lee to relay this information. “Wasn’t it Mable and Dipper?” He asks.

“No Ford, Mabel said that Dipper born a girl. Sabel is Dipper.”

Ford wasn’t to sure about this. He stayed for two weeks cooking and cleaning for the Pine while they adjusted to the twins. Both babies were very sweet tempered. Mabel held a special place in his heart but Sabels reminded him of Lee. Her strange birthmark in the form of a dipper amused him. She’s be a bit odd like Lee. Lee had gotten use to his sixth finger over the years.

When he left extended an offer for the Pines to visit him next summer.

The Pines couldn’t bring the twins up the next year, or the year after that, but just before the twins turned three they decided to make the trip. They had called that morning to say that they should be at the Shack around dinner time. At eight o’clock that night there was no sign of the Pine. Ford was more than worried at this point.

“Fids what's Jaimes number?” Ford asks.

“It’s on the refrigerator.”  
Ford called it once, twice, three times with no answer.

“They aren’t picking up.” Ford bites his lip.

“I’ll call the police,” Lee takes the phone.

Twenty minutes later the trio made their way into town. At the sight of the two little girls safe and unscathed Stanford broke down crying. Stanley handled the legalities. It was almost too much to when they realised that Jaime and his wife were dead.

They took the twins home a put them to bed.

“They need a legal guardian,” Fiddleford said.

“We can do it right?” Ford asks.

“We’ll see there is always Dan and Carla or whoever Jaime and Elizabeth named in their will.”

“But they are here,” Ford looked like he was going to cry again.

“It doesn’t always work that way lil’bro,” Lee puts his hand on Ford’s shoulder.

“I don’t want to lose Mabel or her brother,” Ford mumbles. Fiddleford pulls the larger man to their bedroom.

“We will do what we can.”

…

The legal battle to keep the twins was exhausting and stressful enough that Ford and Lee started to go gray. Fiddleford hand gone snowy white years before hand.

Fiddleford created a mobile for the twin out of the symbols in Lee’s journals. Ford felt peaceful watching the twin sleep under the mobile.

Carla left Dan and moved out to Gravity Falls to be a more active part of her grandchildren's lives, but after raising her own son she didn’t want to do it all again. Ford was over the moon that he got to keep the twins and raise them himself. They had endless energy which made him smile. Soos, the kids that started to come around the Shack to help fixing things was their favorite baby sitter because he would run wild with them. Right around the time Sable and Mable turned five and started kindergarten Ford starting noticing Sables dissatisfaction with her long hair and girly clothing. He cut her hair himself and started calling her Dipper. The people in town gave him dirty look for ruining the little girls hair, but Dipper couldn’t have been happier. The nickname amused Mabel to no end. She called Dipper range of nickname, Dippin’ dots was her favorite. Dipdot was Lee’s preferred nickname. Carla still loved calling Sabel her little snuggle bug, Dipper didn’t mind his grandma's nickname.  When Dipper was six she announced at the dinner table that she was a boy. The transition with pronouns wasn’t easy. Mabel got the hang of it first. The everyone else followed suit.

Lee was Dippers favorite. Ford appreciated when Lee told the twins that they were identical. His extra fingers helped Dipper to accept himself and mable to understand that they were still twins even if there was a physical difference.  Dipper became glued to Lee’s side and grew up learning about the paranormal in Gravity Falls. Mabel was more independent but like to watch Ford knit and Carla sew. She became quite good at it as well.

…

Even with preparations Ford and Le were still overwhelmed when Mabel woke up one morning groggy and disoriented. They almost called the doctor until she smiled up at Ford.

“Grunkle Stan?”

“Grunkle Ford, actually,” he smoothed her hair.

“I had the weirdest dream,” She said.

“Those happen. Like Fidds dream about the raccoon wife. Somethings are not meant to be shared.”

She shudders at the thought, “yeah, Did i teach you how to knit?”

“It was the other way around.”

“I could have sworn.”

****...

In 2014 about a week after Oregon legalized equal marriage Ford officially asked Fiddleford to marry him. The original plan was to marry as soon as possible until Mabel and Carla go their hands the plans. then it turned in to a big productions Carla wanted to pay for. Mabel asked all sorts of invasive questions.

"Are you gay or pansexual? What about Bisexual? I need to know to plan the color palette." She asked briskly at breakfast one morning.

"What?" Lee looked at the girl as if she had grown two heads. It actually happened once, but he looked more shocked now.

"Grunkle Lee there are several sexual orientations- straight, gay, bi, pan, ace- as wells as romantic orientations- how some one falls in love or doesn't with aromanticism-" she launches in to another speech.

"Whats aromanticism?"

"When you don't feel romantic orientation? I though I covered that."

"Is it common?" Lees eyes grew wide.

"I dunno, Dipper says he's ace, but he totally has a crush on Nathaniel," Mabel grins. Her brother is sleeping in his bed exhausted from a long night out. 

His brows furrow, "I think I'm aromantic!"

"Okay but this is a bout Grunkle Ford, Grunkle Lee." Mabel glares. Fiddleford giggles nestled in by Fords chest, "You too, Grunkle Fiddleford!"

...

Lee catches Ford latter that night, "So you and Fidds actually," he make a vague hand motions.

"Well yeah, that's why you banged on the wall all those times when we were too loud." Ford says.

Lee dismisses that, "No the sex bit makes sense but you actually love each other, your not like just extremely fond of each other?"

Ford frowns in confusion, "Yeah, he makes me feel lighter and happier. He knows how to make me feel better after a hard day. I- I can't describe it becasue its love. I love him he loves me. Its real."

"But I though it was a huge joke!" Lee is frustrated.

"Big bro, I think you're aromantic, it a thing at least Mabel says it is."

"Its not a joke?" Lee has the biggest grin on his face, "I''m going out. I hope Laura's up for a lesson on aromanticism!"

...

The wedding was beautiful. Lee brought Laura with him they seemed happy together, Ford wouldn't pretend to understand it but Lee looked happier than he had in a long time.

Ford and Fiddleford wedding night was much better than dream of. They already knew how the other worked and their limits. Ford favorite part was waking up married to his husband and returning to his great- niece and great nephew. His family was already complete

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Is there a part two?  
> yes yes there will be.  
> I've also discovered I can't write that well.


End file.
